


Until the End of Time

by Daretodream66



Series: Baby, I'm Yours [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Domestic Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Wanda Maximoff is a Good Bro, at the end, fluff at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: The boys are missing each other and everyone is trying to help.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Baby, I'm Yours [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813054
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	Until the End of Time

Sam knows that something’s not right with Steve. He’s tried talking to Wanda and she agrees, but also doesn’t know what the problem is. For the last few weeks, Steve’s been working almost non-stop. He’s here before everyone else and doesn’t leave until after midnight. Sam comes in on a Friday morning with coffee for Wanda and Steve. “Is he here?”

“He lives here now.” She takes her coffee with a thank you as Sam opens the door and steps in to see his friend standing at the windows looking out at the city. It’s a grey, cold day and matches Steve’s demeanor. 

“I brought you coffee.” Steve jumps and turns. “Now, sit down and tell me what’s up with you. You’re turning into Tony and that’s some scary shit. No one needs to work this much.”

Steve hasn’t talked to anyone about what happened that night. It’s not that he’s embarrassed by it, or maybe it is, it’s just that it’s personal. More personal than it should be. “If I tell you, do you think you could not laugh? I don’t think I could take it right now.”

If Sam isn’t mistaken, his best friend is starting to tear up and that just won’t do. Steve Rogers is a good man, like deep down, really good. “Alright man. Whatever you need.”

“I went to have that beer with that kid.” It’s so hard to call Bucky that because he’s not a kid. He’s so much more. Sam nods. “You were right and that’s exactly what he thought.” Steve eyes are red now and he stands to go back to the window. Sam hears him sniffle. “I’m not that kind of sleaze, Sam.” Steve stuffs his hands into his pockets. “But something happened and I can’t get it out of my head.”

“What happened?” Sam’s almost afraid to ask.

“We…it was…jesus, I really am a sleaze bag.” That terrifies Sam because Steve isn’t like that, but it sounds like he did something that he can’t forgive himself for. “We started kissing and it was good, really good, but…I don’t know, I just couldn’t let it go any further. I left.”

“So, nothing more than a little kissing happened?” Steve nods, but he still seems so distraught over it. “Man, you did the right thing. You can’t beat yourself up because you didn’t know you were going to react that way. Speaking of, why did you react that way?”

Steve doesn’t say anything for a long time, so Sam just waits. “He’s so…he’s just really special.”

“You really like this kid.” Steve nods, but doesn’t offer anything else. “You did the right thing, Steve. There’s a power imbalance at work here and you _didn’t_ take advantage of that.” It’s the last that they talk about it. Every month, Wanda moves money onto the card and Steve tries to forget that there’s a man out there that he’d like to get to know better.

Bucky really thought he would hear from Steve, not for sexual favors, but just to be friendly. Instead he gets a call every month from Wanda, Steve’s assistant and she relays the new balance on the card. After awhile, Bucky finds himself curious about Steve Rogers and starts doing some research. The man is single, there was a relationship some years ago, but nothing since. He gives to some of Bucky’s favorite charities and has a close knit set of friends that includes his business partner, Sam Wilson, Tony and Pepper Stark, which is weird considering that what little Bucky knows, Steve doesn’t seem like the Tony Stark kind of friend. He also has a close relationship with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Many of the pictures on the website are group photos. The only single photo of Steve is on his profile page.

Bucky spends entirely too much time staring at that picture. Natasha and Clint try to talk him out of this arrangement with Nat telling him that Steve’s got an ulterior motive, but as the months go by and Steve never comes back, she has to admit she was wrong. Bucky wishes that she wasn’t. He continues working on his Master’s Thesis, the prosthetic, but finds himself, late at night, thinking about Steve.

“You could just call him.” Clint sits on the floor of Bucky’s apartment, eating pizza and halfway listening to the movie they have going in the background. Natasha is at work and will be by later for food.

“I can’t, he made it pretty clear that we couldn’t…you know.” Bucky goes to the fridge for another beer.

“Then don’t call for that. Call him and ask him if you can just be friends. I mean he did all this, he must like you.” Clint lays down on the rug, holding his stomach. “I always eat too much.”

“Yes, you do.” Bucky closes the lid to the pizza box. “The problem is, my friend, we already proved that just being friends isn’t really something we can do. He wasn’t in the apartment five minutes that first night and I was kissing him. Don’t get me wrong, I think I could be friends with him, but…”

“But there would also be sex involved. Got it.” Bucky hates that he’s right about this, but if those kisses were anything to do by, he’d be in a room with Steve for less than five minutes and start climbing him like a tree. So, that’s it, he’s just going to go to school and not see Steve.

Eight months into the arrangement Bucky tries dating someone from his department, but it turns out that kissing this guy isn’t doing it for him. The other man sees where Bucky lives and thinks he has money. It’s the first time that Bucky almost… _almost_ , runs out of money on his card for the month. Once the guy sees the apartment, he starts making reservations at restaurants that Bucky would never normally go to and getting Bucky to buy him ‘gifts.’ The one time they try sleeping together, Bucky throws him out. Nothing about it felt good _and_ the guy asked to move in. So, out he went, still zipping up his pants. Bucky slammed the door and went back to bed thinking of Steve.

Wanda sorts through the mail and finds a letter. The return address is Bucky’s apartment. Over the last year and a half, she’s talked to the man at least once a month, but in recent months it’s been more than that. He’s funny and smart and Wanda likes him very much. She even got to hear about the guy spending all of Bucky’s money. What she can hear in the young man’s voice is that he misses Steve. He doesn’t come right out and say it, but every time he asks how Steve is doing, until last month when he didn’t. She thought it was odd, but didn’t ask.

The letter is addressed to Steve, so she puts it in his important pile to be taken in after his meeting. An hour later the door opens and Wanda smiles at the people coming out. Standing she goes in, handing over the mail. “You have a letter there from someone.”

Steve takes the envelope on top, reading the address. “Thanks Wanda.” She closes the door behind her and Steve leans back in his chair. The last time he spoke to Bucky was last Christmas when the young man asked if his parents, who were coming to visit for the holidays, could stay at the apartment. Of course Steve said yes and told him he didn’t have to ask because the apartment was his for as long as he wanted it. Opening the envelope, he pulls out the letter.

_Dear Steve,_

_I hope you’re doing well. Are you? Are you doing well? Anyway, my parents are coming to town next month and they’ll be staying with me again. I know I don’t have to ask, but I thought it best that I give you a heads up. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately and wondering how you are. Nat and Clint were over a few nights ago and still want to meet the man that helped me._

_I was reading about you in the newspaper and saw that you have someone new in your life. Congratulations on that. So, for why I’m writing. I know that you wanted me to stay in the apartment for as long as I wanted, but I was hoping I could stay here for a little while longer. I’ve gotten a few offers for jobs, but I’m having trouble deciding. Until I do, can I keep living here? I talk to Wanda about once a week now, so if you want to let her know, she can relay the message._

_Thanks for everything you’ve done for me,_

_Bucky_

He reads it through again and doesn’t know what Bucky is talking about at first. Then he remembers the fund raiser last month when he’d been pictured with Pietro. Wanda had gone to drag Sam over for a picture, leaving Steve with her brother. Since the attack, Pietro still gets nervous in crowds and Steve had reached out, taking his hand for support. It was in all the papers the next day. Truth is, Steve hasn’t gone out with anyone since that night with Bucky. Nothing felt as good as that.

Getting up, he goes to talk to Wanda. She looks up smiling. “When you talk to Bucky next, tell him that he can stay in the apartment until he decides what he’s going to do.” He goes back into his office and closes the door. Sitting down at his desk, he reads the letter again.

The following month, Steve wakes to his phone ringing at four in the morning. Checking the screen, he doesn’t recognize the number. He answers with a half-asleep hello. “Steve?”

Steve sits up faster than he should have. “Rhodey?”

“Yeah man, listen, Tony was supposed to speak at graduation this morning and he’s…well Steve, he’s been in the lab for three days. If he comes and talks to this group, we’ll have anarchy.”

Steve chuckles tiredly. “What do you need?”

“Pepper’s going to bring Tony’s speech to you and if you could edit, revise, wing it, whatever, but we really need a speaker.”

“What time do you need me there?” This is not how Steve was going to spend his day.

“We need you here at 9. Is that doable?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll see you then.” Within a few minutes of hanging up, Steve gets a text with directions on where to go and meet Rhodey. Laying back down, he tries to sleep more. Tossing and turning, he stares at the ceiling. At 6 there’s a knock on his door. Pepper stands on his stoop, coffee in hand. 

“I brought you this,” She hands him the coffee, “And this.” She hands him a tablet with Tony’s speech. “I think you’re going to want to rewrite some of that.”

Steve’s got three hours and not enough caffeine in him for this, but he’ll give it a shot. By the time he climbs in the shower, he’s got something he can work with. He makes it just in time and shakes Rhodey’s hand. “Thanks for doing this. I should have known better than to ask Tony.”

“He’s usually a little more…no you’re right, you shouldn’t have asked Tony.” Rhodey laughs and they head inside for Steve to get into his robes. 

“I always forget you’re a doctor. From now on, I’m just going to call you first.” 

Steve rolls his eyes. “Please don’t.” At ten sharp the procession starts and Steve follows the other administrators out onto the dais. Everything is fine until he gets up to make his speech. There, in the fourth row, looking tired, but proud is Bucky. Their eyes lock for a few seconds when the young man blushes and looks away, shyly he turns back, gazing at Steve. He doesn’t mean to, but Steve whispers, “Bucky.” It’s soft enough that the mic doesn’t catch it, but Bucky sees.

He makes his speech, but doesn’t want to leave the podium because he wants to keep looking at Bucky’s face. He wants to talk to him, but Steve has to let that go. Bucky’s probably moved on and his parents are here. The letter makes more sense now. At the time he didn’t connect Bucky’s graduation with his parents visiting. He isn’t family or even a friend really, he’s nothing to this young man, except a benefactor. As much as he wants it to be more, he feels like he missed his chance.

Steve gets one more look at him when Bucky crosses the stage. As he stands waiting for his name to be called, he looks at Steve and doesn’t release eye contact until he has to accept his degree. When the ceremony is over, Steve leaves a quietly and quickly as possible. He spends the rest of the day at home and doesn’t answer his phone. If possible, Bucky was more beautiful today than Steve even remembered. 

Steve spirals a bit after that. He goes back to working too long and not sleeping enough. Three months have gone by when Wanda comes in one morning with breakfast. He can tell that she has something to say and isn’t sure how to say it. “Steve?”

Taking a deep breath, he feels like whatever it is, it’s bad enough for Wanda to be unsure. “Yeah?”

“Bucky moved out of the apartment yesterday. I’m sending cleaners in. Once it’s cleared, what do you want to do with it?” Something inside of Steve breaks.

If there’s a moment that he’ll look back on and say, ‘that’s the second that I knew I could love him’ this will be that moment. Tears freely flow and Wanda comes around the desk. Steve wraps his arms around her middle and buries his head in her stomach, sobbing. Wanda holds all his calls that day and doesn’t let anyone into the office.

The following week, Steve has to welcome all the new hires to the company. He let Sam do the interviews and make all the decisions. The one time that Sam wanted to talk about the candidates, Steve just held up his hand and told Sam to do whatever he thought was right. Getting dressed, Steve takes twice as long because he doesn’t really want to do this. Those bright eager faces, wanting to impress and talk themselves up. Steve’s heart just isn’t in it.

He goes to his office first, checking in with Wanda. Then makes his way to the community room. He hears Sam talking to the new employees and interns. They want everyone to feel like equals, whether paid a salary or hourly, so they are all in the same welcome session. Sam finishes up and introduces Steve. Entering the side door, Steve makes his way to the front. Standing in front of the group, Steve glances around and starts speaking, but he freezes when he locks eyes with a pair of grey eyes and a smiling face. He stumbles over his words for a few seconds, then practically races through the rest of what he had to say.

When he’s done, the group claps and Steve heads straight to Bucky. Wrapping his arms around the man and holding on like his life depends on it. “Are you going to give all your new employees a hug?”

Steve pulls back, misty eyed and smiling. “No, just the one I want to take to dinner.”

“And your boyfriend? Isn’t he going to have something to say about that?” The smile isn’t there anymore and Steve wants to put it back on Bucky’s face as soon as possible.

“I don’t have a boyfriend, didn’t have one. Pietro was scared and I was trying to help him calm down. The only boyfriend I want is you.” Bucky looks shocked, but elated. Pulling Steve back in, he hugs him all over again.

It takes a minute for them to realize that the room is stunned silent and Steve looks around. “You might have to explain that this isn’t normal company behavior, Steve.”

“I’ll leave that to Sam. Come with me.” Steve pulls Bucky out of the room and down the hall to his office. Once inside, he locks the door and turns. Wrapping his arms around Bucky, he leans in, but stops just before their lips meet. “Go out with me. Go out with me every night until I can justify how I already feel about you.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Rogers, but I think I’m on board with that idea.” Bucky looks down, blushing. “I think I missed you every day for a year and a half.”

“I don’t think, I know I did.” Brushing Bucky’s hair back from his face, cupping his cheeks. Steve smiles like he hasn’t in a long time. “I walked out that night and nothing felt good or right. It was the right thing to do, but now I want to make up for lost time.”

Bucky pushes Steve against the office door. “Take me to dinner tonight then take me home.” Bucky’s lips are just the same.

Six Months Later

“Stevie, where did you put the box of my sweaters? You bought them for me and I love those sweaters.” Steve comes into the bedroom carrying a box. Bucky’s standing in the middle of the room, wearing only boxer briefs. He’s still got the prettiest legs Steve’s ever seen.

Steve stops and admires all the skin on display. “It was in with the kitchen stuff.” He puts the box down. “You keep standing there like that and you won’t make it to work on time.”

Bucky grins, beckoning Steve closer. “It’s okay. I’m sleeping with the boss.”

“Oh, is that how it is?” Bucky nods while biting his bottom lip. Reaching into the waistband of his boxers, he lets them fall to the floor.

“That’s how it is.” Steve tackles him onto their bed.

“Sam is going to be pissed again.” Steve smiles down at his boyfriend and leans in for a kiss.

“Sam’s always pissed these days. You’d think he didn’t want us to be happy or something.” Steve chuckles.

“He’s just tired of us always coming in looking so happy.” That makes Bucky snort with laughter.

“I think his exact words were, ‘could you come in at least one morning a week not looking fucked out.’” That sends both of them into a fit of giggles.

“Well, this is not going to be that morning.”


End file.
